Issue 36

July 2000

For 50 years, the men and women of Campbellsville, Kentucky sewed underwear in a vast Fruit of the Loom plant that dominated the town's economy and its psychology. Then Fruit of the Loom shut down, Amazon.com moved in, and Campbellsville changed forever.

Companies that are desperate for skilled workers aren't looking in the right places, say the founders of CitySkills.org — a nonprofit group that's moving young people from the inner city to the Internet.

That question is being asked by more and more businesspeople, as they wonder whether they should become part of the Great Migration. Becky Stein, leader of the Silicon Valley Internet practice at Russell Reynolds Associates, can help you decide.

Executives are leaving the security of big companies for the Internet economy. Should you sign up for the journey? What can you expect once you arrive at your destination? Or have you already missed the boat?

Talk about an unlikely e-commerce juggernaut. This year, 55-year-old Manheim Auctions expects to sell more than $1.5 billion worth of used cars online. Would you like to take its Web strategy for a test drive?

Signing up with a young technology company need not be a leap of faith. Daniel Rippy got startup fever, left his job at Bristol-Myers Squibb — and had second thoughts. His new book helps you look before you leap.

What does it take to win in the global economy? A commitment to mixing people, experiences, and ideas. Companies and countries that embrace diversity to stimulate creativity will be the ones that own the future.

It used to be a church. It's got the vibe of a funky nightclub, the technology of a wired office, and the members-only attitude of a lodge. Meet Baby — René Eller's club for Amsterdam's "Brand Called You" set.

The new economy is great at unleashing innovation. It's just not very fair at sharing the bounty. A new book offers an ambitious "populist vision." You may not like its answers, but you can't ignore the questions.